Britney Gets "In The Zone"!!! :)
In The Zone (2003)
1. "Me Against The Music" (Featuring Madonna)
Britney finally teams up with the Queen herself for this club ready single. I'm surprised by how much this song has grown on me. Both Britney and Madonna sound great together which is no surprise as they both are at their best with it comes to the dance-pop genre. The chorus is also very catchy and the melody is fun. A shame this wasn't the most successful song despite being the lead single for the album. Regardless, this is an infectious and great track!
(B+)
Britney finally teams up with the Queen herself for this club ready single. I'm surprised by how much this song has grown on me. Both Britney and Madonna sound great together which is no surprise as they both are at their best with it comes to the dance-pop genre. The chorus is also very catchy and the melody is fun. A shame this wasn't the most successful song despite being the lead single for the album. Regardless, this is an infectious and great track!
(B+)
2. "(I Got That) Boom Boom" (Featuring Ying Yang Twins)
Talk about a weird collaboration!! Who would have thought hip hop duo, the Ying Yang Twins would work with Britney but this odd mash-up works from it's hard hitting beat production to that random bango playing. It's Britney experimenting with a genre of music she has really explored yet but it certainly suits her as this is the perfect jam to get the party started!
(B)
Talk about a weird collaboration!! Who would have thought hip hop duo, the Ying Yang Twins would work with Britney but this odd mash-up works from it's hard hitting beat production to that random bango playing. It's Britney experimenting with a genre of music she has really explored yet but it certainly suits her as this is the perfect jam to get the party started!
(B)
3. "Showdown"
Hmmm, this feels like filler as it doesn't have the energy or that standout quality you want. The lyrics are pretty sexy but don't leave much of an impression, even the melody seems very standard, instead of getting stuck in you head. Nothing bad, just nothing really good either. It's ok overall.
(C)
Hmmm, this feels like filler as it doesn't have the energy or that standout quality you want. The lyrics are pretty sexy but don't leave much of an impression, even the melody seems very standard, instead of getting stuck in you head. Nothing bad, just nothing really good either. It's ok overall.
(C)
4. "Breathe On Me"
I like the vibe this song gives off. It's like EDM/techno lite, the beat is very soothing and well produced. The lyrics are sensual and subtle. This is a style that once again is new for Britney but it really works and makes for a very enjoyable listen. I also love her whisper talk, very sexy.
(B+)
I like the vibe this song gives off. It's like EDM/techno lite, the beat is very soothing and well produced. The lyrics are sensual and subtle. This is a style that once again is new for Britney but it really works and makes for a very enjoyable listen. I also love her whisper talk, very sexy.
(B+)
5. "Early Mornin'"
Continuing the smoothness of the last track, we get this seductive sounding track. Once again, I love the urban groove this song has and Britney sounds great on the track. Her voice just really works with this genre of music. The type of music where you are at a lounge and get a couple of drinks in you as you slowly move to the music. Very nice!
Continuing the smoothness of the last track, we get this seductive sounding track. Once again, I love the urban groove this song has and Britney sounds great on the track. Her voice just really works with this genre of music. The type of music where you are at a lounge and get a couple of drinks in you as you slowly move to the music. Very nice!
(B+)
6. "Toxic"
The most successful single of the album and one of Britney's most memorable hits, "Toxic" is out of this world!! It's a fast paced dance-pop track that still feels ahead of it's time. The melody is magic as well as it's chorus. Britney sings of a man and his almost poisonous effect on her as she is so intoxicated by his attractiveness. This is just a great pop song that really stands the test of time and deserves all the success it garnered.
(A+)
The most successful single of the album and one of Britney's most memorable hits, "Toxic" is out of this world!! It's a fast paced dance-pop track that still feels ahead of it's time. The melody is magic as well as it's chorus. Britney sings of a man and his almost poisonous effect on her as she is so intoxicated by his attractiveness. This is just a great pop song that really stands the test of time and deserves all the success it garnered.
(A+)
7. "Outrageous"
Produced by legendary R&B heavyweight, R. Kelly, "Outrageous" is a gritty party anthem that is catchy as hell. That chorus, yes repetitive, but it works so well. Britney sounds like she was really feeling this track and it shows. I love this track. It's a definite standout on the album with a slick beat and melody that is sublime.
(A-)
Produced by legendary R&B heavyweight, R. Kelly, "Outrageous" is a gritty party anthem that is catchy as hell. That chorus, yes repetitive, but it works so well. Britney sounds like she was really feeling this track and it shows. I love this track. It's a definite standout on the album with a slick beat and melody that is sublime.
(A-)
8. "Touch of My Hand"
This has a beautiful, orchestral inspired production. I love melody, especially the harmonies on this track. The mix of violins and the electronic beat just work so well against each other. Britney vocally even sounds a bit more exceptional than usual. A strong song for sure.
(A-)
This has a beautiful, orchestral inspired production. I love melody, especially the harmonies on this track. The mix of violins and the electronic beat just work so well against each other. Britney vocally even sounds a bit more exceptional than usual. A strong song for sure.
(A-)
9. "The Hook Up"
Wow! O_O Britney takes it to the dancehall with this one and it once again catches me off guard...but in all the right way. This has a nice beat and great groove to it. It almost makes me wish I was at a reggae club with this song coming on in the background so I can grab the closest person to me and grind against them. What!? This reggae joint is really fun and I like Britney decided to experiment with a genre she isn't known for but excelled at!
(B+)
(B+)
10. "Shadow"
Britney goes for epic balladry with this track that once again has a pretty sounding production. I like the lyrics, having a deep, emotional meaning with Britney singing about a person she is losing touch with. The production once again sounds strong and Britney sounds actually quite beautiful on here. Usually Britney's ballads leave me indifferent but like much of this album, I'm left pleasantly surprised.
(B+)
Britney goes for epic balladry with this track that once again has a pretty sounding production. I like the lyrics, having a deep, emotional meaning with Britney singing about a person she is losing touch with. The production once again sounds strong and Britney sounds actually quite beautiful on here. Usually Britney's ballads leave me indifferent but like much of this album, I'm left pleasantly surprised.
(B+)
11. "Brave New Girl"
Another decent song. "Brave New Girl" is a fast paced, dance-pop track that is just as energetic as it is contagiously optimistic. I do wonder who is the brave new girl Britney is talking about? Whoever it is, it sounds pretty good to me.
(C+)
Another decent song. "Brave New Girl" is a fast paced, dance-pop track that is just as energetic as it is contagiously optimistic. I do wonder who is the brave new girl Britney is talking about? Whoever it is, it sounds pretty good to me.
(C+)
12. "Everytime"
This has got to be the best ballad Britney has ever done. Whether it's because of the disturbing and surreal video that sees just how scary her life in the limelight can be or the stunning production as well as the moving lyrics, it really brings a tear to my eyes. It almost feels like a tragic lullaby with it innocent melody. This has got to be the best ending to an album from Britney thus far as well. What a great ride it's been listening to this album.
(A-)
This has got to be the best ballad Britney has ever done. Whether it's because of the disturbing and surreal video that sees just how scary her life in the limelight can be or the stunning production as well as the moving lyrics, it really brings a tear to my eyes. It almost feels like a tragic lullaby with it innocent melody. This has got to be the best ending to an album from Britney thus far as well. What a great ride it's been listening to this album.
(A-)
13. "Me Against the Music" (featuring Madonna) (Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix)
Ok, so "Everytime" wasn't the last song but come on, it certainly should have been!! This remix is okay at best, I still prefer the original. Though the Middle Eastern inspired beat sounds cool, it doesn't really add much to the song. A decent remix for the clubs I'm sure.
(C)
Ok, so "Everytime" wasn't the last song but come on, it certainly should have been!! This remix is okay at best, I still prefer the original. Though the Middle Eastern inspired beat sounds cool, it doesn't really add much to the song. A decent remix for the clubs I'm sure.
(C)
I feel like "In The Zone" was a defining point in Britney's career, where her fame not only peaked but when her music felt a lot more than some throwaway teen pop mash-ups of her first three albums. "In The Zone" feels A LOT more genuine, in sexiness, production and lyricism. Sure "...Baby One More Time", "Oops...I Did It Again!" and "I'm A Slave 4 U" were strong singles, but the majority of the albums were riding off of strong single with the remainder of the album's feeling mostly weak and not supporting the supporting the strong material well at all. Here though, we finally get a full length album that sees Britney, her writers and her producers putting their all and it shows so well. We get an album heavy on experimentation in the process with songs that confidently explore everything from fantastic futuristic techno-pop ("Toxic") to southern hip hop ("I Got That (Boom Boom)" to ghetto fabulous hooks ("Outrageous") to sensual, euphoric dance-pop ("Breath On Me") to emotional balladry ("Everytime"). Because of this, this is easily Britney's best album up to this point (before her dark, dirty masterpiece release in '07) as it she's her actually feeling like a grown woman in the music she's delivering instead of her clumsy self-declaration of near womanhood in "I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman" on her last album. I LOVE " In the Zone", it's just so fresh and funky; combining different genres to create an album moving forward with music and making it's on trends that still sound so fresh over a decade later. The album opened with over 600,000 copies sold with it singles, "Me Against The Music", "Toxic" and "Everytime" becoming hits on the charts; ranging from massive to moderate success. The album went on to sold so well becoming one of the best selling albums of that year. She would go on to embark on the Onyx Hotel Tour which would prove that another successful worldwide showing of her skills and talents. Just think, Britney was planning on taking a 6 month break before deciding to work her next album at the fall of 2002. Lucky for us, she didn't and really excelled at what she was doing this time now. With such a strong album to work with this time around, she honestly deserved the praise she got for the album, even if it was mixed reviews at the time. Oh well, she had the last laugh! ;)
"With a vibrant album that sees the former teen pop phenom finally taking control of her sex appeal and maturity, "In The Zone" is a ridiculously fun journey with eclectic genres of music from the intoxicating forward thinking pop of "Toxic" and the seductive, self pleasure of "Touch of My Hand". Excellent!" :)
(A-)
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